Innocent Until Proven Cullen
by manywords
Summary: Summary: When Alice Cullen is arrested for a murder she didn't commit hot shot lawyer Jasper Whitlock is hired to defend her. But can they prove her innocence before the real killer comes hunting for her? All-human, A/Jas. Rated M for sex and violence.
1. Chapter 1

**Innocent Until Proven Cullen** by manywords

_A/N: The first installment of the Cullen Siblings series, Cullen For Hire, can be found in the Fandoms Fight The Floods collection (fandomsfightthefloods(dot)blogspot(dot)com). It will be published on FFdotnet and Twilighted in June 2011._

_Banner by MDealsWithIt at pics(dot)livejournal(dot)com/0_manywords_0/pic/0000352g_

_Stephanie Meyer has the copyright to Twilight. I own a yarn stash that is taking over my living room, a box of chocolate donuts and an undying devotion to ProjectTeamBeta (really, they rock and any errors remaining are mine alone). I hope you enjoy this!_

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* * *

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The phone rang six times. Alice's heart skipped in her chest as she waited for an answer. Finally, just before it would have rolled to voicemail, the line was picked up.

"Swan." The voice of her brother's fiancée came on the line. She'd never been so happy to hear the woman's voice. Actually, she'd never been happy at all to hear Bella's voice until now.

"Bella, it's Alice Cullen." There was a long pause. "I need help."

"Of course, what can I do for you?" Bella was being gracious, something she'd never been to any of the Cullens before she started dating Alice's brother Edward. Alice tried not to grind her teeth.

"I need…" she gulped, "…a lawyer."

Another long pause.

"Are you all right?" Bella actually sounded concerned.

"I'm kinda, umm, in jail." She sighed. "They arrested me. Mom and Dad are out of town, and I couldn't get a hold of Emmett or Edward."

"Where are you being held?" Bella's voice was tight. Alice sighed. As if Bella needed another reason to think badly of her.

"King County Jail on Fifth Avenue."

"All right. I'll be there as soon as I can." She could hear rustling on the other end of the line and knew Bella was already moving. Alice was surprised that she felt relieved. She'd never thought of Bella as someone on whom she could rely.

"Okay. And, Bella?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you." Alice swallowed her pride, knowing Bella could have blown her off. Hell, as much as Alice had objected to the relationship between Bella and Edward, she probably deserved to be left to sit in jail.

"It'll be all right." Her voice was compassionate, and Alice had the feeling Bella really meant it. "Hang in there, and don't say anything without a lawyer."

Before Alice could say anything else, Bella hung up. Alice sighed heavily as she the handset in the cradle of the payphone. She followed the portly corrections officer back to the holding cell and tried not to flinch when the door clanged shut.

She looked around the large room, trying to find a place to sit that wasn't occupied or covered with dirt. She ended up perched on a bench nearest the door. Alice tried to calculate how long it had been since she'd been arrested. Her best guess told her it was mid-afternoon, maybe early evening.

Getting arrested had been, to put it mildly, a shock. As the vice-president of Sales and Marketing for Cullen Publishing, and more importantly, Esme Cullen's only daughter, she'd never had so much as a parking ticket. Alice could just picture her mother's expression – horror mixed with disappointment. But Bella was bringing a lawyer; they'd be able to prove she didn't do it.

While running errands and making sales calls this morning, she'd stopped in at the house of one of their authors, Demetri Guardiano, to pick up his latest manuscript. He was a dinosaur who refused to use email, but he was one of their biggest sellers, so they humored him. Since her parents were on vacation, it fell to Alice to deal with him.

The door had opened under her hand when she knocked. A tall man in a ski mask – who seemed as surprised to see her as she was to see him – had stood there for a split second before running out of the house, colliding with her where she stood in the doorway.

Landing hard on her side, she watched him scramble to his feet and disappear into a small black car. She'd picked herself up off the porch and gone in. Guardiano had been lying in a puddle of his own blood, a knife sticking out the side of his neck.

She'd screamed and dropped to her hands and knees, not paying attention to the fact that she was getting blood all over her clothes. She'd tried to remember first aid. Was she supposed to leave the knife alone or take it out?

In the end it didn't matter because the police had burst through the door, guns drawn, and arrested her. After that, it was a blur – the ride to the police station, the fingerprinting and finally waiting in the cell for however long before she'd been allowed to make her one phone call.

Generally Alice was a positive person, but she had to admit she was scared. A shiver went through her as she thought about being stuck in a place like this for the rest of her life. She closed her eyes as the cell walls seemed to close in on her. Deep breaths through her nose steadied her.

She glanced down at the hideous orange jumpsuit and flimsy white flip flops she wore. The cops had taken her clothes as evidence, even her Manolos. These horrible clothes would be the least of her worries if the cops didn't find whoever actually killed Guardiano.

Alice sat there, hunched over with misery, until another corrections officer came for her. This woman led her to a small gray room with the almost-clichéd two-way mirror, plain metal table and a couple of chairs. A man in a suit stood next to one of the chairs. He had dark blonde hair that was long enough to tuck behind his ears. Piercing gray eyes studied her as she entered the room.

He indicated that she should sit, and he did the same, putting a mahogany leather briefcase on the table between them. She chose a chair a few feet away from him, turning it to face him with a screech of metal against the concrete floor. He flipped his briefcase open and pulled out a manila file folder, setting it in front of him.

"Miss Alice Cullen?" he asked. He didn't take his eyes from the papers.

"Yes." Bella had told her not to answer any questions, but she was pretty sure they already knew who she was.

"I'm Jasper Whitlock, ma'am." His voice had a touch of a southern accent. "I've been retained by Isabella Swan to be your legal counsel."

"That's… um, that's great, thank you." He didn't look at her, jotting notes in the file in front of him. She noticed he wrote with his left hand. They sat there, him making notes, her fidgeting in the uncomfortable metal chair. The quiet was making her nervous. "Are we just going to sit here or what?"

He looked up at her, taking his time. His gaze swept her from the top of her head down to her red painted toenails. The intensity of his frank appraisal made a fluttery feeling start up in her belly and it scared her. Alice crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him. He met her stare for a long moment, his face showing no emotion, but his eyes darkened to a stormy gray. After what felt like forever her looked down at the file in front of him.

"Here, sign this." He slid a piece of paper and a pen over to her. Uncrossing her arms, she picked up the paper. It was a contract for his services. She read through it completely, balking when she got to the compensation part.

"A thousand dollars an hour?" She choked. "I can't afford that."

"That's irrelevant. My salary is being paid by Ms. Swan."

"But…" Alice couldn't think of anything to say.

"Just sign the form, Miss Cullen, and we can get you out of here." He looked at his watch.

"I'm sorry, am I keeping you from something?" She didn't mean to be catty, but it came out that way anyway.

"Actually, yes. I was in the middle of something when Ms. Swan called." His voice was even, and he sat back in his chair to regard her with a cool gaze. "I understand this has been a trying day, but I _am_ here to help you."

She flushed and looked back down at the paper, hesitating another moment before she signed it. He reached over the table to retrieve both pen and paper. She noticed his hands were large, with long elegant fingers. He put the paper in the file folder, closed it and put it in his briefcase. The pen he tucked into a pocket in his suit jacket.

"Wait here." He closed the briefcase and rose.

"Oh, sure, 'cause I thought I'd go get an ice cream cone instead." He looked down at her with narrowed eyes. She met his gaze, defiant. He quirked a smile, and it lit up his whole face, transforming the severe and angled lines into something handsome and engaging. She couldn't stop herself from smiling back. It was a small smile, but it was the first time she'd smiled since her arrest.

"Everything will be okay, Miss Cullen."

She watched him as he left. His shoulders were broad, and he walked with confidence. When he'd left and the door shut firmly behind him, she lowered her head to the table, cradling it in her folded arms. The fear and exhaustion started to get to her, and she closed her eyes just for a moment.

The next thing she realized was Bella shaking her awake.

"Alice, come on, it's time to go." Bella leaned over her, and Jasper Whitlock stood by the door.

Alice rubbed her face, blinking rapidly to focus her eyes. She ran a hand through her short black hair, wishing for a brush. She felt certain it was sticking straight up. Sure enough, the lawyer was looking at the top of her head with a smirk.

She rose and followed Bella out of the room. When they reached the lobby of the jail, Alice wanted to plaster herself to the windows, grateful for just the sight of the normal world on the other side of the glass. She breathed deeply, as if she could already taste fresh air, untainted by the jail's smells of sweat and fear.

She could see that it was evening. Streetlights were on, and the moon occasionally peeked out from between the clouds. She waited impatiently as Mr. Whitlock handled some more paperwork at the desk, separated from the rest of the room by bullet-proof glass, which stretched across half the lobby. She bounced on the balls of her feet, anxious to be free. Bella waited patiently, working on her Blackberry.

"We can go now, Ms. Swan, Miss Cullen." The lawyer's voice was low as he ushered them out of the building that housed the jail, courtrooms and offices. Alice shivered as they left, feeling the tall structure looming over her. It was a relief to get into Bella's Town Car and she couldn't help returning the driver's friendly smile.

"Hey, Eric."

"Hey, Alice. So, what were you in for? Did you kill someone or something?" Alice's face froze. How did one discuss getting arrested for murder?

"Eric, please raise the privacy barrier." Whitlock coolly cut into the silence. The driver stiffened, obviously offended, but did as he was asked.

Once they were all settled in the back of the car, the inquisition started.

"What happened, Alice?" Bella asked.

"I was going to pick up a manuscript," she began to explain.

"Whose manuscript?" Whitlock had a yellow notepad on his knee, pen out.

"Um, Demetri Guardiano. He's an author we publish."

"Picking up a manuscript? Why didn't he email it?" Bella asked, leaning forward with an intent expression.

"He doesn't use email. He's one of our last hold-outs." Alice shook her head. "Mom's going to be devastated when she hears."

"So what happened next?" He brought her back on track, tapping the notepad with his pen.

She told the story as best as she could with either the lawyer or Bella interrupting every other sentence to ask questions.

The car stopped in front of the Halverton building. Alice looked up at the skyscraper, reminded of how only a few months ago Bella had tried to take over Cullen Publishing. If she hadn't happened to fall in love with Alice's brother and decided to call everything off, she might have succeeded.

"Thank you for your help today, Mr. Whitlock." Bella's voice was warm. "It means a lot to me, and I won't forget it."

He simply nodded brusquely before getting out of the car. Alice watched him leave. He didn't even look at her as he left, disappearing into the steel and glass edifice.

* * *

Jasper walked down the hall to his office. As soon as the door to his office closed behind him he banged his head against it.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid." He couldn't believe how hard it had been to remain professional with Alice Cullen. She'd looked so lost and frightened at times, so full of sass and fire at others. Not to mention she was beautiful. Short black hair framed a pale face with big green eyes. The hideous orange jumpsuit hadn't hidden lush curves his hands had itched to touch.

With a sigh, he sat down behind his desk. He knew he should call Maria and Nessie back, but instead he pulled Alice Cullen's paperwork out of his briefcase and started going through it. He looked first at the arrest record, reading the paperwork the police had provided. It had been a fairly simple thing to get her released – the police hadn't had any real evidence for arresting her in the first place. The assistant DA, an old college friend, had agreed to drop the charges and let her go before arraignment with the standard "don't let her leave the city" order.

One section of the report caught his eye. The police had been tipped off by an anonymous phone call that Guardiano had been killed. It was why they'd gotten there before Alice had even had a chance to call 911. He frowned and made a note to check if anyone knew she was going to be there.

He kept at it until his eyes blurred. He put the papers away for the night, slipping them into an empty folder in his desk. He glanced at his watch, surprised by how much time had passed. It was eleven o'clock – way too late to call and finish his conversation. They were on east coast time which was, what, three hours ahead? He sighed.

He missed Nessie. His daughter was five years old and getting bigger every day. His ex-wife was great about letting them talk a lot, and he was grateful for Skype, which allowed him to actually see her. But it wasn't the same as holding her. Maria's move to DC was great for her career, but stunk for his relationship with his daughter.

Jasper turned off his computer and left the office. Officially, he was the youngest partner of Meyer, Little, Brown and Whitlock, but really he worked for Isabella Swan. It was why his office was in her building and why, at only thirty-six, he was full partner. He left the Halverton Building, walking the two blocks to the club district to catch a cab.

He'd originally intended to go right home, but curiosity got the better of him. He gave Guardiano's address to the cabbie. He watched as downtown fell away and the buildings got shorter and sparser, signaling the change from city to suburbia. The cab driver turned into a residential development full of older single-family homes. They pulled up in front of a blue house with green shutters. A large maple tree stood in the front yard, and someone had planted roses by the porch.

"Can you wait here a few minutes?" he asked.

The cabbie grumbled, but left the meter running. Jasper went up the stone walkway to the porch, stopping at the foot of the stairs and looking up. No lights were on, though the streetlights let him make out the barest details of the house. He wasn't quite sure what he expected to see in the dark. There were black splotches on the white wood of the porch that he guessed were footprints. Yellow crime scene tape blocked off the front door.

He turned his attention to the rose bushes. One of them had been horribly mangled, probably from the man who had nearly mowed Alice down. Or maybe it had been like that before. Hard to tell. Something white fluttered by the base of the rosebush, and he crouched down to take a closer look.

The paper had been crumpled and ground into the dirt. Jasper pulled a pair of gloves out of his pocket. They were leather, but they'd do to make sure he didn't ruin any evidence – _if_ this was evidence and not a flyer advertising a dog walking service or pizza delivery specials. He stretched his arm towards it, catching his jacket on the thorns. He disentangled himself carefully and tried again, his fingertips just brushing the edge of the paper.

He pushed, snagging and ripping his jacket, but he managed to grab the document.

"Hey, you coming or what?" He looked up to where the cabbie was leaning across the front seat to holler out the window.

"Yeah, just a second." Jasper held the paper up. It was too dark to read, but the type was double-spaced and filled the whole page. He folded it carefully and put it in his pocket before returning to the cab.

* * *

At first it had been a relief to get home and see both Edward and Emmett waiting for them. Emmett had been pacing back and forth across the living room while Edward sat more calmly on the couch with his elbows on his knees. She'd burst into tears and thrown herself at her brothers. They'd held her as Bella explained what had happened.

But then the questions started flying at her. What was she doing going to a stranger's house by herself? Why hadn't she called them? Was she hurt? Who did they have to sue, kill or mangle to get her out of this?

"Really, guys, I'm okay. Bella…" she threw a grateful look at the woman, "…got me a lawyer. He got the charges dropped, but they said they're still considering me a suspect."

"That's my girl." Edward's voice was adoring, and Alice rolled her eyes at the sappiness. Thankfully, she had her face buried in Emmett's chest so no one saw.

"We should let Alice get some rest. I'm sure she could use a shower." Bella was being nice again. Alice bit her tongue to keep from saying something snarky.

"You're right. I really want to get out of this awful thing," Alice said, picking at the jumpsuit she was wearing. "They really need to have Vera Wang redesign these awful things."

Her brothers laughed and let her go. She stopped on the staircase, her hand on the banister.

"Have you guys called Mom and Dad?" Emmett and Edward shared a look.

"Not yet, Allie." Edward shrugged his shoulders. "We weren't sure what was going on and, well, you know how Mom worries."

"Yeah. Thanks." She started up the stairs to her apartment. Her parents had made some modifications when the house had become the headquarters for Cullen Publishing, turning the second level and the basement into apartments, the garage into the office with a room above that and giving themselves a luxurious master suite on the ground floor. Edward had the basement, and Emmett had the garage. She had the upstairs.

Alice climbed the stairs slowly; she'd never been so tired in all her life. She dragged herself into the bathroom, stripping off the awful clothing and kicking them aside. She looked at her naked body in the mirror. There was a bruise on her shoulder from where the man had knocked into her. It wasn't very big, but it was a deep purple color, and it hurt. She rubbed it gently.

She was surprised it was the only physical mark from the day. She felt as if everything else had changed, so shouldn't she look older or something?

Alice dismissed the maudlin thoughts with a shake of her head. She turned on the shower and waited a few moments for the water to heat up. Once under the spray, she finally began to relax. Her muscles unknotted, and she found herself slumping against the tiled wall, trying to stay awake long enough to finish shampooing her hair.

She stumbled out of the shower, wrapped a towel around herself and managed to walk from the bathroom to her bed. That was the last thing she remembered before oblivion took her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_Stephanie Meyer owns the copyright to Twilight, not me. Alas. As always I am devoted to ProjectTeamBeta. Their betas are incredibly helpful at whipping my comma usage into shape and catching many an error that would have made this a far poorer story. Thank you so much PTB for the assistance! Any remaining errors are mine and mine alone._

_I also want to give a shout-out to the ladies who host the Twilight Awards writer's chats – KitsuShel, JavaMomma, Faerie Kitten, and JennDur. Their support, and the camaraderie of the WCs, has made it possible for me to focus and get the writing done on this story. A big "thank you" to them all!_

_I hope you enjoy the story!_

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"Half pint!" The deep voice of her brother penetrated through the dream she was having. Alice groaned, swiping a sleepy hand at the air above her. "Come on, short stuff, time to get moving. Your fancy-pants lawyer is here to see you."

"Ugh. Emmett, I just went to sleep. Go the hell away." She snuggled back into the comforter, squeezing her eyes tightly shut. Wait – she didn't even remember pulling the blankets over herself last night. She smiled; one of her brothers must have covered her up in the night.

"No, you didn't munchkin." Emmett let out a booming laugh. "It's nearly one in the afternoon. You've been asleep for over twelve hours."

Alice opened her eyes and the sunlight shining through her window was painfully bright proof of Emmett's words. She blinked several times to make her eyes focus and finally located her brother leaning against the door frame.

"Alright, alright, I'm up." Alice sat up, clutching the blanket to her. "I'll be down in a minute."

He left her to get dressed. She pulled on a Marc Jacobs sweater and a pair of jeans. Her hair was a mess since she hadn't dried it before going to sleep, so after ruthlessly pulling a brush through it to tame it as much as possible she slipped on a headband to at least keep it out of her face. She took her time putting on her make-up.

She tried not to dwell on why she was taking such care getting ready to see the lawyer. He'd already seen her at her worst yesterday. Being arrested for murder wasn't the most flattering look on a girl. Still, she felt an odd thrill when she thought about seeing him again. When she couldn't put it off any longer she headed downstairs.

To her surprise, Bella was there, too. She was in the kitchen cooking something and chatting comfortably with Jasper Whitlock, who sat at the kitchen island. He leaned casually against the counter, dressed in a suit and tie, though he'd slung the jacket over the back of a chair.

Edward stood next to the stove. He was laughing at something Bella had said, and Alice felt her heart give a little squeeze. She really had to let this anger at Bella go. Her brother hadn't laughed so freely in years. She squared her shoulders and entered the kitchen.

Mr. Whitlock actually stood when she came in. She raised her eyebrows, but didn't complain at the old-fashioned courtesy. Instead she held out her hand.

"Mr. Whitlock, I don't think I thanked you properly for your help yesterday." He took her offered hand. His was large and warm, and his long fingers wrapped around her palm. She looked up at him with a smile and he returned it. The smile reached his eyes, and small crinkles showed in the corner of his eyelids.

"Call me Jasper, please, and you're very welcome, Miss Cullen. I was happy to be able to be of service." They stood that way for several moments. Part of her knew she should move or say something, but it felt so right she didn't want to let go of him. The moment was interrupted when Edward cleared his throat. She jumped guiltily and dropped Jasper's hand immediately.

"Yes, um, well thank you. And I'm just Alice." She sat at the breakfast bar. Bella slid a plate of eggs, bacon, and fruit in front of her.

"I figured you'd be hungry." Bella didn't look at her, turning away to put the pan in the sink.

"Thank you," she said, trying to make sure her sincerity was clear in her voice. "It was really nice of you to cook breakfast for me."

Bella's blinding smile made her feel guilty. Had she been so awful to her that a simple 'thank you' rated a look like that? Alice was grateful when Jasper broke into her thoughts.

"You're a wonderful cook, Bella. Where'd you learn?" He smiled charmingly at Bella.

"Self-defense. Neither of my parents could cook and I got tired of cereal for breakfast every day." Bella laughed and tucked a long strand of lustrous brunette hair behind her ear. Alice's momentary feeling of generosity towards her disappeared as the urge to scratch her eyes out rose. The two men were practically drooling over Bella.

With a sour look at the plate in front of her, she shoveled a forkful of eggs into her mouth. She gasped, fanning her mouth wildly, and grabbed a glass of orange juice that was sitting on the counter. The three of them stared at her. Looking away, she tried to keep her blush from blossoming on her face.

"Hot."

"I hope you don't mind my coming over this afternoon." Jasper pushed a crumpled piece of paper over to her. "I wanted your opinion on this. I found it at Guardiano's house."

"What were you doing there?" She took it from him, intrigued. It had been heavily creased and had mud stains, but it clearly looked like a manuscript page.

_-~*aaa*~-_

_Peter watched Charlotte climb down the ladder, disappearing from sight. He sighed and swept his gaze along the deck. A glitter of silver caught his eye. He walked to it, adjusting his stride to keep himself steady as the ship listed in the waves. She was for the junkyard if the hole in the hull was any indication. _

_He bent down, looking more closely at the shiny piece of metal. It was a bolt as big around as his thumb. He picked it up, turning it this way and that in his fingers. The threads had been stripped. He looked around to see if there was anything obviously missing a screw. Seeing nothing, he reasoned that the screw had probably been thrown on the ground after being replaced._

_He started back to the ladder, but the ship lurched with a shriek as a wave pushed it against the reef. He reached out to steady himself, grabbing on to the large red safety valve. Instead, the valve came off in his hands and both he and the valve tumbled to the deck. _

_Peter cursed under his breath as he scrambled to his feet, grabbing at the valve before it could slide away on the now-tilting floor. He looked at it and at the bolt in his hand. On the side of the valve was a place for a bolt. He contemplated the neck of the pressure release shaft that the valve had topped and…_

_-~*aaa*~-_

The text was smudged into illegibility at the bottom of the page. Alice turned it over to see if there was more, but other than a few smears of dirt it was blank.

"The paper is from Demetri's novel. I didn't read the whole thing – I think Mom might have seen a rough draft – but I know enough about the premise that I recognize it." She set the paper back on the table, pushing it away from her. She picked up a strawberry from her plate and nibbled it.

"Do you know why it might have been lying on the ground outside?" he asked.

"Maybe the man was a slob? How the hell should I know?" Her voice was sharp.

"Alice," Edward said reprovingly. "Mr. Whitlock is here to help you."

She dropped her head into her hands.

"I know, I'm sorry, this has me all out of whack." She closed her eyes, and a flash of memory caught in her mind. "Wait a second. The guy that knocked into me, the one in the ski mask; he was carrying something white in his hand."

"It could have been the manuscript," Bella said, bending over to look at the paper.

"Yes, it could have. I don't remember seeing it when I went in, but I was kind of focused on the… blood." Alice's voice faltered.

"I reviewed the police report and there was no mention of a manuscript anywhere in it." Jasper pulled out the yellow pad from yesterday and scribbled a note. "I'll follow up on it."

"What was the novel about?" Bella asked.

"Oil companies gone bad. Some sort of cover-up with regards to a spill that happened back in the eighties tied in with the government." Alice made herself take another bite of the eggs. They really were quite good. Of course Bella had to be a good cook, too. She was lucky if she could microwave popcorn without burning it.

"I'll have to see if I can find any of his friends or family. Perhaps he talked to them about the novel." Jasper was all business, not looking at them. "When will Mrs. Cullen be back?"

"They went to England to visit my father's family." Edward rubbed his chin, thinking. "We should check the office. Maybe Mom has a copy of the manuscript."

"That'd be great, thank you." Jasper inclined his head toward him.

Edward moved to Alice's side and gave her a one-armed hug. "Don't forget to call Mom and Dad."

"I'll give them a call before it gets too late," she promised.

"Oh, speaking of late…" Bella tapped her watch.

"Bella and I are supposed to be meeting with the wedding planner right about now. Do you want us to call and cancel?" Edward's face was concerned.

"I'll be fine. Go on, you don't want to be late for that. She's scary!" Alice joked.

"Alright, Allie, but you call if you need me."

She smiled and held her cheek up for a kiss. He bussed her cheek, and then he and Bella left, leaving her alone with Jasper.

"So, what happens next?" She toyed with the food on her plate, pushing it around with her fork.

"Legally, nothing. You don't have to go to court, or anything." He hesitated, and she looked up at him. He was frowning at the manuscript page. "But I don't think it will end there. The police were tipped off that the murderer was going to be there."

"That's pretty weird." She chewed on her lip. "I guess that explains why they thought it was me."

"I managed to get the charges dismissed, but you should know that the police still consider you the main suspect in his murder."

Alice's eyes flew to his face. His expression was serious and a shiver went down her back. She looked back at her plate, feeling nauseated. This wasn't over.

He stood and grabbed his jacket off the chair, sliding his arms into the sleeves. He picked up the manuscript page and tucked it into a pocket.

"Let me walk you out." She followed him out the front door and to his car, a sporty black BMW M6, parked on the curb in front of the house. "Wow, not what I expected you'd drive."

He laughed, and opened the door. "What'd you think I'd drive?"

"I don't know." She cocked her head to one side. "Something responsible and sturdy."

"All due respect, Miss Cullen, but you really don't know me." He smiled down at her and she swayed toward him, feeling an unexpected pull. She held her breath as the laughter dropped off his face and he leaned forward. She thought for certain he would kiss her when a loud explosion rocked her off her feet.

A shockwave knocked her into him, pushing them both into the car's doorframe before they tumbled to the ground. Jasper wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his firm chest, one arm over her head to protect her from shrapnel that fell all around them.

They stayed like that for several moments as heat and sound buffeted them. When everything was quiet she started to move. Using the car door to pull herself up, she climbed off of Jasper. She reached a shaking hand down to help him up. Once on his feet, he leaned against his car, one hand pressed to his head.

Her ears were ringing. She shook her head, and then turned towards the source of the explosion. Her family home was in flames. The garage looked like it had exploded outward, and pieces of wood and metal, some on fire, lay scattered around the lawn. The floor of Emmett's apartment sagged where there was no longer a wall to hold it up. She barely had time to register the damage before she remembered her brother. _Oh, god. Emmett._

"Emmett!" she screamed. She ran towards the house, screaming her brother's name. The garage was on fire, smoke billowing out of the hole that had been blown in the side of it. She approached the gap in the wall, holding her arms up in front of her face to protect it from the heat coming off the flames.

Strong arms wrapped around her waist. "You can't go in there! You'll get yourself killed!" She struggled in Jasper's hold.

"Emmett's still in there. He lives above the garage!" She thrashed in his arms. "Let me go!"

"Calm down. Here." He thrust a cell phone into her hands. "Call 911. I'll see if I can get to him."

She clenched the phone in her hand as she watched him strip off his jacket and hold it to his face. When he disappeared from sight she quickly dialed the fire department.

The dispatcher was calm and got the information from her as she peered desperately into the flames, trying to make out any movement. Long, agonizing moments passed. Tears streamed down her face and she didn't take a breath until two large figures stumbled into view.

Sirens were just becoming audible as she ran to them. Jasper had Emmett's arm draped over his shoulder, and was half dragging and half carrying her brother towards her. She ran to them, throwing her brother's other arm around her neck. She helped brace him as they moved away from the house. Though Jasper managed most of the weight, she struggled to keep Emmett upright as they dragged him away from the flames.

The three of them collapsed on the lawn just as a fire truck pulled up, sirens wailing and lights flashing, an ambulance not far behind. Yellow-suited firefighters poured off the truck, swarming around it like ants, pulling hoses and other arcane pieces of equipment off of it. One of the firefighters came up to them.

"Are you okay?" The man's face was anxious under the helmet, the flames glinting off his plastic visor.

"It's my brother – I think he's hurt." Alice hovered over Emmett. He still hadn't opened his eyes. Soot smudged his clothes and skin, though that was the worst she could see. Tears clouded her vision as she leaned down. "Emmett, please be okay, come on, wake up!"

"I think something hit him on the head," Jasper said. "I found him lying on the floor."

The fireman hollered for the paramedics, and soon they had Emmett strapped on to a gurney and were taking him away. Another paramedic led her and Jasper to a second ambulance that had just arrived. The stern looking paramedic made them sit down on the back of the ambulance, their legs dangling off the tailgate. She handed blankets to each of them and told them to wait there. Alice held the blanket in her fist, watching as the firefighters worked to put out the fire.

"I can't believe someone did this. It has to be connected, doesn't it?" She was furious and scared. Her hand clenched and unclenched in the wool of the blanket. Jasper took it from her, and draped it over her shoulders. She looked up at him. "What the hell did that man write, Jasper?"

"That is the question, isn't it?" Jasper's face was stony. His hair, carefully slicked back earlier, had fallen into his face, framing eyes the color of a thunderstorm. Alice reached up and pushed a lock of his hair back over his ear. When she realized what she'd done she pulled her hand back with a quick intake of breath. He studied her face intently and she had to stop from squirming, feeling as if he expected her to have an answer she didn't want – or wasn't ready – to tell him.

"Well, if it isn't our little murderer."

Alice cringed at the nasal voice that broke into their silent conversation. She turned her head, seeing a tall man with thinning blonde hair, an attitude as large as the gun he wore at his hip, and a badge pinned to a narrow chest. The cop walking up to them was the one who had taken great pleasure in putting her in handcuffs yesterday.

"Are you accusing my client of murder?" Jasper's voice was icy. She put her hand on his arm and gave him a wan smile before turning her attention to the cop.

"Officer Rademarc, how nice to see you again." She tried, and failed, to keep her tone civil.

"I heard there was a little firecracker out here, and I just had to come see what was going on." He put his hands on his hips and looked down at her. "What are you mixed up in, Miss Cullen?"

"If I knew I'd tell you." She shrugged casually, though she wondered whether anyone would look through Jasper's briefcase. "Do you know what happened yet?"

"It looks like someone mailed you a valentine. The ATF is on its way to take a look." Rademarc smirked at her.

"So, you aren't considering Miss Cullen as a suspect?" Jasper asked. The cop looked him up and down, raising pale eyebrows over dark eyes. Jasper looked steadily back at the man, his composure unruffled. They challenged each other silently and Alice had to fight the urge to clap or shout or do a cartwheel – anything to distract the two from their unvoiced pissing match.

"Not at this time." He looked disgruntled, as if he wished his answer was different. His tone changed to one of hope. "Is there some reason we should?"

"Of course not. I would never do something like this!" She bristled. "This is my _home_."

The cop shrugged. "You wouldn't be the first person to try and cover their tracks with a conveniently timed accident."

"It sounds like you _are_ considering her a suspect." Jasper managed to loom over Officer Rademarc without even standing up; Alice was impressed.

"Hey, Rad, the louie's looking for you." A tall black man, wearing an Armani suit at least five years old if she was any judge, came up behind Officer Rademarc. He was accompanied by a short blonde woman. They both had police badges clipped to their waistbands.

"What's the lieutenant want?" He sneered at the new arrival.

"I don't know." The man's reply was mild, but there was a thread of iron in it. "Why don't you go find out?"

The cop moved off after one more glare at Alice.

"Like a dog with a damned bone. Sorry about that. I'm Detective Crowley and this is Detective Stanley." He indicated the woman standing next to him.

"When can we go to the hospital to check on my brother?"

"As soon as you answer some questions for us, Miss…" He checked a small notebook in his hand. "Cullen, is it?"

"Yes, Alice Cullen. This is my lawyer, Jasper Whitlock."

"Lawyered up, already?" Detective Stanley raised her eyebrows, studying Alice more closely.

Alice couldn't help but laugh, if bitterly. "A coincidence. He was here when it happened." The detective nodded, dismissing the issue.

"We wanted to ask you both some questions. Have either of you ever heard of Caius Volturi?" Detective Crowley's hand hovered over his open notebook, pen ready to take notes.

"No, I don't know that name," she said. She looked over at Jasper, who had a thoughtful look on his face.

"Is that 'Volturi' as in the Venezuelan oil barons?"

"You know them?" Crowley's voice was carefully neutral.

"Know _of_ them," Jasper corrected. He leaned forward, meeting the eyes of the detective. "I do read the news. Why do you ask?"

"We have evidence to suggest that the man who was murdered yesterday was writing about him." Crowley looked over at Alice. "Do you know if that's correct?"

"I think he was writing about an oil spill, but he wrote fiction. I think it was a whodunit." She smiled her best sales smile. "He was our best-selling author. Have you ever read 'Winter's Treachery'?"

"Sorry, no, I didn't. So, you were his publisher and you didn't know what he was writing about?" He pinned her with his stare, brown eyes assessing her.

"I'm the VP of Sales and Marketing, Detective. I don't usually deal with the books before they're written." She shrugged. "The only reason I knew anything about this book at all is that my mom asked me to pick up the manuscript while she was out of the country."

"Do you think the Volturis are responsible for this?" Jasper interrupted, drawing the attention of both detectives.

"We don't think anything at this point, Mr. Whitlock," Detective Stanley replied.

"Do you know of anyone who would want to do this to your house?" Crowley addressed this to Alice. His expression was sympathetic, but Stanley looked suspicious.

"No. We just publish books. Nothing unusual or even controversial."

"Alright, we really appreciate your help. Here's my card – call me if you think of anything." She gingerly took the business card he offered. "You're free to go, though I'm sure we'll need to be in touch later."

She hopped off the ambulance's bumper, desperate to find out how Emmett was. She looked to the spot on the curb where she usually parked.

"Shit."

"What is it?" Jasper asked.

"My car. It's still parked outside Guardiano's house." She ran her hand through her hair, tugging gently on the strands as she tried to figure out how to get to the hospital to see Emmett.

"Don't worry about it. I'll drive you." Jasper stood, gesturing for her to precede him.

He opened the car door for her. Alice settled into the leather seat as he closed the door behind her. She watched him as he walked around the front of the car to the driver's side. His legs were long and she couldn't help admiring his graceful stride.

Once in the car he navigated carefully through the chaos of the emergency vehicles and cop cars. Alice watched her house as they left, twisting in the seat to keep it in view for as long as possible. A tear dripped down her cheek. Jasper looked at her, and then dug into his pocket, pulling out a handkerchief and handing it to her. She smiled at him, her bottom lip quivering, before using the handkerchief to wipe her eyes.

He kept the speed low until they were out of the development. Once he reached the freeway he gunned the engine. She reveled in the speed; if only she could leave her problems behind so quickly. She twisted the fabric in her hands.

They drove in silence. It was a restful quiet, though. She could feel the solidness of the man in the driver's seat, like an ancient oak tree in a windstorm. She closed her eyes and rested her head against the headrest.

In no time, they were pulling into the hospital's grounds. He dropped her off at the emergency room entrance and left to park the car. She was surprised and pleased to see Edward in the lobby.

"You're here!" She ran to him, wrapping her arms around him.

"Yeah, the cops called me. Are you okay, Allie?" He held her away from him, examining her for injuries.

"I'm fine. We were far enough away we weren't hurt. But how's Emmett?" She watched his face, terrified of what she might find there.

"He's okay." He laughed at her skeptical expression. "No, really, he's fine. He just got knocked silly by the blast. They'll let him go in the morning."

"Thank God." She hugged Edward again. She might have been thirty years old, but today she was just grateful her big brother was there to take care of things. "Can I see him?"

"Yeah, he's in room 302." Jasper came up behind her and Edward reached out a hand to him. "Our family is in your debt, Mr. Whitlock. Thank you for saving Emmett."

"I'm just glad I was there." Jasper shook his hand firmly. He looked at Alice, and though his face was serene, his eyes held an odd expression that made her heart race. "Your family is here. I should go."

"Oh. Yeah, I'm sure you have your own life to deal with." She tried to sound flippant, but she didn't want him to leave.

He hesitated a moment, then stuck his hands in his pockets and walked off. She watched him go, fighting the feeling of abandonment that filled her as he left.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_Stephanie Meyer owns the copyright to Twilight, not me. Alas. _

_Thanks go out, as always, to ProjectTeamBeta. Without them, you wouldn't be able to read the words for all the commas. *grin* Any errors are on my shoulders._

_I'd also like to give a shout out to all the fabulous folk on Twitter. They keep me stocked in smexy pics for inspiration and all the WCs a gal could want. I'm ATmany_words over there. If you're on Twitter, drop me an AT and say hi.  
_

_Please leave a review and let me know what you think of this chapter. I hope you enjoy!_

~*AA*~

Jasper's eyes blurred as he looked at the old-fashioned microfilm. He'd actually had to go to the library as the Seattle Times charged for access to their archives. Another week's worth of papers sped by on the screen as he looked for anything that referenced Volturi Oil or oil spills.

It had been two days since he'd seen Alice. Two days where she was all he could think about. Creamy skin as pale as lace, jade green eyes that flashed fire, and satiny black hair filled his thoughts. Unable to concentrate on work, he'd decided to work on her file. That had led him to the Seattle Central Library, trying to sort through a decade's worth of old newspapers.

"Can I help you with anything, honey?" A librarian with a cart of books had stopped next to him, looking over his shoulder at the newspaper on the screen. Her face was round and smooth, but he guessed she was at least a dozen years his senior. "We don't get many people using this machine anymore."

He smiled at her, the smile he used for recalcitrant juries and unwitting witnesses who were about to be torn apart on the stand. She tittered softly, straightening and pushing out her chest. The motion made her badge, swinging from a colorful lanyard made of beads, shimmy in front of his face. _Lauren Mallory_ it read.

"Actually, Miss Mallory, I could use a little assistance." He let his accent, acquired during childhood in rural Texas, bleed through into his voice. "I'm looking for information on oil spills between 1980 and 1989. Anything local."

"Oil spills, oil spills. Well, I don't like to admit I remember this, but you might want to try…" she trailed off, tapping a finger against her lips in thought, "1983. I think it was June or July. There was such a to-do over it."

"Really?" He leaned forward, letting his eagerness show on his face. "Why's that?"

"Well, the ship that crashed was supposed to be oil from one of those South American countries, Brazil or Peru or something. But it turned out it had come from Russia." She smiled at him. "You probably don't remember it, but back then Russia and America weren't precisely friends."

"I'm sure your mother told you about it. You're not old enough to remember that, pretty young thing like yourself." Jasper let the lie slip smoothly off his tongue. She blushed and let out a small giggle before waving him off.

"Pshaw. Go on with you," she said before moving off, pushing the book cart ahead of her. "If you need anything else you just holler."

"I will, thank you," he said, already digging through the stack of microfilms in front of him.

Once he found the April through June 1983 reel, he pulled the older tape off the machine and threaded the new one onto the spools. He fast-forwarded through the tape until he reached June. He slowed it down, the distinctive whir and click of the machine loud in the quiet library.

He was about to give up and move on to July through September when he found it. The first article was about a terrible spill dumping over ten million gallons of oil into the waters off northern Washington. Several articles followed in the days after that, describing the clean-up effort and the investigation into what had happened. A picture caught his eye and he magnified it until it filled the whole screen.

It was of three men, two in suits, one in jeans and a button down shirt. The caption read, "Left to right, Aro Volturi, Caius Volturi, Demetri Guardiano." He studied the picture. The Volturis wore slick smiles, but Guardiano looked straight into the camera with no expression. He dialed back the magnification until he could see the article title. "Lead investigator clears company owners in oil spill."

Jasper pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. She would want to see this. He ignored the voice in his head that was laughing its ass off. He just wanted to see her, and this was a thin excuse.

"Alice?" He kept his voice low, glancing guilty around the stacks that surrounded the microfiche machine, looking for any patrons who might report him for cell phone use in the library.

"Hello?" Her voice was musical, and he felt a surge of happiness at hearing it. "Jasper?"

"Yeah." He cleared his throat. "Yes. It's Jasper Whitlock. Do you have a few minutes to come down to the library, the Central branch on Fourth?"

"Umm… hang on a sec." He could hear voices in the background. There was a rustling and the sound of a door closing and the voices cut off. "Why do you want me to come down there?"

"I found something, and I need your opinion on it." Jasper cleared his throat again. Sure, with the librarian he was Mister Smooth, but with her he was tongue-tied. "If you have time, of course. I wouldn't want to pull you away from anyone."

"I'm not… I mean you're not pulling me away from anything, Jasper." The sound of his name on her lips gave him an odd thrill. "I'll be there in about twenty or thirty minutes."

"Okay. I'll wait here." He hung up the phone and then stared at it in horror. He hadn't even said goodbye, just hung up! He debated whether he should call back and pretend they had been cut off before he could say goodbye? Would she think he was weird for calling back so quickly? In the end, he shoved his phone back in his pocket, trying to shove his embarrassment away with it.

He fidgeted the whole twenty-three minutes it took her to get to the library. Up out of the chair, pace two steps away, turn, sit back down, and then do it all over again.

Jasper heard her voice before he saw her.

"Excuse me; I'm looking for Jasper Whitlock." He shot out from behind the stacks into the main part of the library. She was leaning over the circulation desk. The sight of her stopped him in his tracks. Her hair swung over her face, hiding him from her sight. She was wearing a soft-looking turtleneck sweater and tight jeans that drew his eyes right to her ass. It made his mouth water as he imagined coming up behind her and bending her over the counter, putting his hands all over that luscious backside while burying his face in her smooth neck.

"I think the one you're looking for is right behind you," the librarian said with a laugh. She pointed at him and he looked away, flushing. He felt like a teenager caught peeping in the girl's locker room.

Alice turned to see him, and her eyes lit up. He straightened his shoulders as she approached him. She stopped a foot away from him. He felt his heart clench at the look in her eyes. It was happy and shy, and he felt like the world was shifting under his feet. The feelings made him so uneasy that when he spoke he was harsher than he intended.

"Glad you're finally here." He turned away as the happy look faded from her face, turning to one of hurt. Great, Whitlock, he berated himself. Why don't you kick a puppy, too? With a sigh, he led her back to the microfiche. He pulled out the chair he'd been using and waited for her to seat herself.

"I found this article and wanted to see what you thought of it." He bent over her to adjust the film to the first page of the article. His face brushed her hair, and he inhaled, taking in the sweet, spicy scent of her. She smelled like cinnamon and marigolds and warm woman. His groin tightened, and he stood abruptly.

She turned to the newspaper article displayed on the screen. He took the opportunity to grab a chair from another study table, dragging it over so that he sat near her. He was very aware of how close his leg was to hers.

"The _Mary Toledo_ crashed into a small fishing boat and spilled thirteen million gallons of oil off the northern coast of Washington state." She continued reading the article silently to herself. He watched her as she read. She was one of those people that never quite sat still. She tapped her fingers against her thigh, and he wondered what her hand would feel like against his skin.

"So do you think his novel showed the company was responsible for the crash?"

He jerked his attention back from thoughts of pushing her up against the bookshelves and wrapping her legs around his waist.

"It's too soon to tell, really." He sat forward, bracing his arms on his thighs. "Have you talked to your mom yet? Did she have a copy of the novel?"

"Yes, she and my dad came home yesterday. She hadn't gotten any early drafts, just an outline. She tried to find it in what's left of the garage." Her mouth twisted. "The filing cabinets were completely destroyed by the bomb. The computers were, too, but thankfully Edward hooked us up to one of those off-site back-up companies last year."

"Does she remember what the outline said?" His eyes tracked the movement as she crossed her legs.

"Not really. She said she'd try to remember more, but she'd only glanced at it. It came in just before she and my dad left to visit family in England." She frowned. "What next?"

"I don't know. We have an idea of why the Volturi might not have wanted the book published, but we don't have any proof."

"What if we tried to find proof?" Her expression was calculating.

"What do you mean 'try to find'?"

"Well…" She stretched the word out to three syllables. "They have to have files on this somewhere, right?"

"Miss Cullen –"

"Alice," she corrected. She smiled at him and leaned forward, putting her hand on his arm. A thrill of heat shot through him, and he heard her breath catch. He looked down into her moss green eyes, the look in them an invitation to wicked things.

"Alice. This is not a good idea." He knew she was trying to manipulate him, and he hated that it was working. "There are some who'd say what you're suggesting is illegal."

"How else are we supposed to find out what's going on?" She sat back with a scowl. He sucked in a breath now that she wasn't holding him entranced. "I got another visit from those detectives. They said they found explosives in my car. I haven't touched my car since… Demetri was killed."

He frowned in contemplation.

"I assume you didn't put the explosives there?"

"Of course not!" She pounded her fist on the arm of her chair before relaxing back with a sad sigh. "They wanted to arrest me again, Jasper."

"Why didn't you call me?" His voice was low. Just the thought of them locking her up made his blood boil.

"I was going to, but Dad managed to make them go away. He said they needed a warrant." She gave him a pleading look, eyes wide. "I've got to figure out what's going on or I'm going to end up in prison."

He sighed.

"You know I could get disbarred for this, right?" She smiled at him, a sparkle coming back into her eyes. "How do you propose we get into Volturi Oil?"

"I have a plan." Dear God, he had never heard more frightening words.

~*AA*~

Jasper drove them to Volturi Oil's Seattle office. They circled the low brick building, looking for a parking spot that was out of the way. They found an empty spot at the edge of the parking lot and parked. She and Jasper walked along the perimeter of the building until they found what they needed.

The back of the building was clearly the hang-out for smokers. The ground was littered with cigarette butts, and a squat urn, filled with sand and another handful of smoked butts, sat near the door that led into the office building. A rusty dumpster sat perpendicular to the brick wall, blocking any view of the parking lot.

They walked up to the door. A gray card reader with a red light in the corner controlled access to the building. She shooed Jasper back behind the dumpster so he couldn't be seen from the door. She picked up a cigarette butt off the ground, holding it with as little contact between it and her skin as she could, and leaned against the wall to wait.

When the door finally opened, the man that came out was perfect. He was of middling height with thinning brown hair and no wedding ring that she could see. She pretended to stub out the cigarette and tossed it in the urn that stood by the door. She smiled coyly at him as he passed her. He stumbled a little and she grinned, turning her head so he wouldn't see it. When she reached the door, she put her hand on the handle.

"Crap!" she said. She turned to the man who had just exited, smiling at him. "I think I forgot my badge on my desk. Would you mind letting me in?"

The guy looked around the little alcove created by the dumpster, seeming surprised she was speaking with him. "You know we're not supposed to do that, right?"

"Come on, please?" She fluttered her eyelashes. "I can't call my boss to let me in – I just started working here this week. I promise I won't rat you out."

"All right, but try and remember next time, okay?"

"I will, I promise." He leaned over and swiped his badge. There was a click, and she was able to open the door. She went through it just as Jasper rounded the dumpster.

"Hey, Alice, wait up." He hustled toward them. The man eyed Jasper with suspicion. "Did you get that report I sent you?"

"Oh, yeah, thanks. I'm glad you're here. I had some questions about the sales numbers for that region."

She saw the man lighting his cigarette just as the door closed, and she breathed a sigh of relief. They'd made it. She hesitated when she looked around the corridor they'd entered. She wasn't sure where to go next. Jasper grabbed her hand and pulled her along, not giving her time to get her bearings. Her heart pounded with excitement and a little fear.

As soon as she was moving, he dropped her hand. They walked purposefully. A short, plump woman passed them, giving them a friendly nod. Alice smiled back. Jasper was inspecting the doors on either side of the hall. He must have found one that appealed to him because he pulled her into it, shutting the door behind them.

They were in a supply closet by the looks of it. Shelves held boxes of pens, reams of paper and every other kind of office supply she could imagine needing.

"Okay, Alice, you got us in. Now what?" he whispered.

"Now we have to find their records room." She thought for a moment. "Or if Caius or Marcus has an office here, that might work, too."

"What if those rooms are occupied?" he asked.

"Well, it's almost five o'clock on a Friday. People are going to be leaving very soon." She grinned at him. "I called – before I came to see you – to find out who their corporate historian is. His name's Jared Smith. It should be easy enough to find his office."

"All right. We're not waiting here, though. If anyone finds us, there'd be too many questions." She nodded. Jasper grabbed a couple file folders from a box on the shelf and handed her some. They stuffed the folders with paper, and she grabbed a pen and stuck it behind her ear.

Checking the hall first, Jasper led the way out of the storeroom. She followed, struggling to keep up with his determined stride.

She'd been right that people were going to be leaving soon. The halls were swiftly filling with people. Several said "good night" to Alice as they passed. She smiled and hoped if her anxiety showed people would interpret it as being anxious for the weekend.

Jasper led them on a careful circuit of the building. He found a stairwell, opening the door and waving her in. They stopped on the landing. There were steps going up and down.

"Which way, Alice?" he asked.

"Umm…" she went to the railing and looked up and down as if there would be an arrow pointing in the right direction. "The records are probably in the basement. Any executive offices would likely be upstairs."

"Records first. Lower paid employees tend not to work extended hours." He started down the steps and she followed. Their footsteps echoed on the concrete steps and she was glad Jasper was there. Her heart pounded like a jackhammer, but his unruffled handling of the situation helped her stay calm.

In a few moments, they were through the door to the lower level. There wasn't a lot to distinguish it from the floor from which they'd just come. More long halls with doors and a hideous carpet that looked like someone had tried to recreate a Jackson Pollack painting in yarn.

She took the right side of the hall and he took the left. They checked nameplates and looked in any open office. There were fewer people here, though, and it seemed a good number of the offices were empty. When she finally found Smith's office she almost passed it by before she realized what she'd read.

"Jasper," she whispered. He turned around and came back to her.

The door was closed, but no light came from under it. Taking a deep breath she knocked, and then pressed her ear against the cool wood of the door. When no one had answered and there was no sound from the office, she tried the handle. It opened under her touch. She took a deep breath, met Jasper's eyes for a moment, and eased the door open.

The office was empty. It was more than twice the size of most of the offices they'd seen. It looked like a wall had been torn down between two offices to make the larger room. File cabinets and bookshelves lined the room. There was a desk set near the door at right angles to the wall like a sentinel blocking access to the rest of the room, and across the room there was a closet with doors that stood open, showing several empty clothes hangers and a jacket. Jasper went around the desk, sitting behind it and starting to go through the careful stacks of documents on its surface. She wandered further into the room, opening filing drawers at random, trying to figure out the organization.

A tall bookshelf held dozens of white binders about two inches thick, all labeled in the same meticulous handwriting. Alice turned her head to the side to read the titles. "Meeting minutes, 1976, 1977…" She trailed off and ran a finger along the spines as the years incremented upwards until she reached 1983.

Jasper came to stand behind her as she pulled out the notebook and opened it, balancing it in one hand. He looked over her shoulder as she flipped the first few pages to the table of contents.

"Interesting. This has listings for board meetings for every month except June. Wouldn't you think that they would've had several meetings to deal with the spill? It seems they started up again in the middle of July." She flipped to the first meeting of July.

"Maybe they were too busy for formal meetings?"

"Yeah, I suppose so…" she muttered as she read the minutes. "There's no mention of the spill here, though. Nothing about cleanup, PR, anything. It's weird."

"Yeah, it is." The doorknob rattled and they both jumped.

"Did you lock the door?" she whispered. Jasper nodded, grabbing the notebook from her hands and slipping it back on the shelf.

"Come on," he said, grabbing her hand and dragging her towards the closet. Pushing aside the jacket, Jasper scrunched into the closet and pulled her in with him. The sound of a key being inserted in the lock made her follow without a protest.

Alice squeezed into the closet, pressing closer against Jasper. She just managed to pull the door shut after them when the door to the office opened. She could see light spilling in under the door and heard footsteps and she held her breath.

"Calling me in on a Friday night…" The voice was muffled and hard to hear. It sounded like some filing cabinets were opened and then slammed shut. Finally a loud rumbling sound started. The noise got louder every few seconds, a growling screech.

"Crap," she swore under her breath. "It's a shredder."

"There goes our evidence," Jasper whispered back. "How long do you think it'll take him to destroy it all?"

"I don't know." She shook her head, not that he could see it in the darkness. The motion caused her to slide a little against him, and he hissed in a breath. Suddenly she was aware of the feel of Jasper's body against hers. She couldn't see anything, but she could feel well-muscled thighs cradling her legs and her breasts pressed against a hard chest. His hands lay gently on her upper arms, steadying her.

Alice shifted, trying to put a little room between the two of them. He bent his head to put his mouth to her ear. She could feel the gentle rasp of his skin. He needs a shave, she thought absently.

"Shhh, darlin', shhhh…" he whispered. The warmth of his breath on her ear made her shiver. His thumb rubbed against her arm in a soothing manner. "Don't want him to know we're here, now do we?"

She shook her head slightly. The movement caused her cheek to brush his, and she found herself craving more contact. She wanted to wind her arms around his waist and nuzzle her face into his neck. The thought made her freeze. This was _Jasper Whitlock_, for god's sake. She didn't think the man had an ounce of passion in him.

Her breasts tingled with each rise and fall of her chest. Her nipples hardened and mingled lust and embarrassment flooded her. Surely he could feel them rubbing against his chest. He shifted slightly, widening his stance as much as the tiny closet would allow and raising his head.

He closed his fingers around her arms and pulled her hard against him, bringing his mouth to hers. For a moment, Alice was still with shock, but his lips were warm and soft. She melted into the kiss, opening her mouth when his tongue traced her lips. Fire kindled in her belly and her legs trembled as he deepened the kiss, plunging his tongue into her welcoming mouth.

She slid her arms around Jasper's waist, tracing his spine through his thin cotton shirt with her fingers. He buried one hand in her hair, tugging her head back to give him more access. His back was pure muscle, she noted with surprise as her hands trailed up to his shoulders.

She arched her hips into his and could feel he was hard. It excited her, knowing he wanted her as much as she wanted him. He ground his erection against her, and they both moaned. The sound broke the spell, and they jerked their mouths apart. She panted for air, keeping her gasps short and low. Alice tried to quiet her breath as she listened intently, terrified that they'd be discovered.

The moments stretched into minutes. They held still, their breath loud in Alice's ears. There was no pause in the sound of the shredder and she finally relaxed just a little – enough to feel horror at what just happened.

What the hell was she doing kissing him? He was… awful, mean, _quiet_. Everything she'd seen of him was controlled and careful – this kiss had been bone-meltingly passionate. She tried to convince herself he was the man she'd thought he was, but that kiss had turned her upside down. His kiss had been tender and wild and, god, so hot.

When the shredder finally stopped silence crashed around them. The click of the light switch as the man left the office was loud, and it made her jump. She thought she heard Jasper groan. He started to move, pushing her away from him.

"Wait," she hissed under her breath. "He could come back."

They stayed frozen until she counted to sixty in her head, then she eased the door open. The room was empty. Jasper pulled his flashlight out again, and they went to survey the damage. There was a stack of now-empty folders on the desk, and the shredder had thin strips of paper lying on the ground around it like a recyclable halo.

"Damn it." She thumped her fist on the folders. "Now we'll never figure out what Volturi Oil had on Demetri."

"Not necessarily." Jasper pulled the folders from under her fist. He flipped them on their sides to read the labels on the tabs. "Well, they had a file on him, on Cullen Publishing, and on the _Mary Toledo_."

"That's the ship that crashed." She leaned over to take a closer look. "I would have given a lot of money to see what was in there."

"Too late now." He sighed and looked at the door. "We'd better get out of here, Alice. Just in case he comes back again."

His voice was calm, but his gaze was intense and measuring. Memories of their kiss replayed in her mind. Her stomach started doing flip-flops. She looked at the files in her hand so she didn't have to meet his eyes.

"Yeah, we're not going to find anything more." She tossed the empty file folders back on the desk, wishing they were heavier so she could slam them down.

Alice opened the door carefully, checking the hallway. It was empty and they slipped out into the hall. They were almost back to the rear entrance when she saw a tall figure she recognized. Her eyes widened, and her heart sped up. She darted into the nearest office, grabbing Jasper and pulling him in after her.

"That's him, Jasper. That's the man that knocked into me at Guardiano's house." She peeked her head out the door and watched as the man walked out the door they'd been heading for.

"Stay here for five minutes, then come out. I'm going to see if I can find out more about him." Jasper headed for the door, but she caught his arm.

"I'm coming, too."

"He might recognize you. Let me go before we lose him." Jasper swiftly kissed her on the cheek, disappearing out the door. Her hand crept up to cover the spot he'd kissed as she stared after him.

She stayed in the office for the required five minutes. She checked her phone over and over. A million different scenarios ran through her head – Jasper catching the man, Jasper being hurt by him, Jasper following him and forgetting she was still waiting.

By the time the clock showed she was free to leave the building, she was a nervous wreck. She nearly ran out of the building, keeping a wary eye out for any straggling employees. When she got outside Jasper was sitting in his car waiting for her. She slid into the leather seat and looked him over anxiously.

"Are you hurt? Did you catch him? What happened?" She rapid fired the questions at him. He laughed softly and took her hand, bringing it to his lips for a soft kiss.

"I'm fine, darlin'."

A shiver ran up her arm from the feel of his mouth against her skin. It was almost enough to distract her from wanting to know what had happened. But not quite.

"So, what did you find out?" He didn't let go of her hand. She could feel a blush rising up her neck.

"I got his plate number. I have a friend in the DMV that can get me his name and address." Jasper glanced over at her. "Then we go to the police."

"The police," she repeated. "With what? A couple of empty file folders and a license plate number?"

He was quiet for a long moment. "We're not cops, Alice. If we don't take this to the police they could charge us as accomplices after the fact or with obstruction of justice."

"If we take this to the police, they'll arrest me again!" She pulled her hand out of his and crossed her arms over her chest. He sighed.

"So, I'll get you out of jail again. I'll always come for you, Alice. Don't doubt it, darlin'." His voice was deep. The intensity made her shiver.

"I – I don't." She smiled at him, tears springing to her eyes. "But you know they're not really looking for the murderer. They think I did it."

"I know." He glanced at her again. "So what do you think we should do?"

"I'm not sure," she said in a low voice. "I think we need to figure out what happened, who really killed Guardiano. Once we can prove it we can take it all to the police."

"If we figure it out you'll go to the police with no argument?" His tone was doubtful.

"Yes." She was tempted to cross her fingers like she did when she promised her brothers stuff as a kid, but she couldn't argue that it was a fair deal.

They were quiet as they navigated the Seattle afternoon traffic. She studied Jasper as he drove. He was relaxed, his elbow resting on the door. His suit didn't look quite right on him, she thought. He would look more at home in jeans and a t-shirt. And perhaps cowboy boots. She nodded, dressing him in her mind.

A nice t-shirt that would show his broad shoulders, tight jeans to show off the muscled thighs his suit pants strained against. Her mind drifted to what that body would look like without clothes at all. Was his chest smooth and hairless? What would it feel like to run her hands down his arms and trace his collarbones with her tongue?

"What's that look for?" He was smiling, the expression warming his eyes to a heather gray.

"Nothing," she laughed guiltily. "I was just, um, wondering if you wore suits because you like them or because they're a business requirement."

"Business requirement." She grinned back at him. "Okay, my turn. Are you seeing anyone right now?"

She laughed, swatting him on the arm. "Because I'm the sort of person who'd kiss you while being involved with another man. No, I'm not seeing anyone right now."

"Good." His voice was a purr that caused the butterflies in her stomach to take off and start doing aerobatics.

"How soon do you think your friend can find out who that guy was?"

"Depends on if he's at work or not. If he is, maybe a couple hours." He looked sideways at her. "We could head over to my place? I could make you something to eat and call Eleazar."

A broad grin spread over her face. "Sounds like a plan."


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N**__: I apologize for the long wait for this chapter. Between a severe case of writer's block and a new job with lots of overtime, it's been hard to write. Thanks for sticking it out with me. I *will* finish this story and we'll all find out just who's behind what._

_As always, my deepest gratitude to Project Team Beta and all the wonderful folks over on Twitter. Best pals a writer can have! _

_I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please don't forget to review and let me know what you think. _

**Chapter 4**

Alice drummed her fingers against her knee. Jasper had been on the phone for nearly half an hour and the conversation had consisted of "yeah," "umhmm," and "okay." She sat at his kitchen table; the farmhouse style top was made of maple, with thick, blocky legs in a darker wood. It gave a homey feel to the room. Tiles in dark green formed a backsplash for concrete counters. A high-end Viking stove was the main focus of the room, and copper pots hung from a rack above the center island.

Unable to sit still any longer, she stood. Jasper looked up at her, but she waved him off. Instead, she wandered into the living room. It was decorated much like the kitchen – modern and sleek with a few pieces that turned it from a showpiece into a home. His couch was leather, but had a soft green throw tossed over the arm. A large flat-panel television was mounted on the wall above a fireplace tiled in white marble. A handful of photographs were on the mantel. Shelves filled with books flanked the hearth.

Instantly intrigued, she stepped to the shelves. There were books on what seemed to be every subject, but the theme she saw repeated over and over was the Civil War. Books about generals and weapons of the period mingled with historical fiction. She trailed a finger across the spines until she recognized a title. She pulled it out, opening it to the acknowledgements.

"To Allie, for helping this book become a reality." She whispered the words aloud.

"That book's one of my favorites." Jasper leaned against the wall, hands in his pockets, shirtsleeves rolled up and collar unbuttoned, exposing a couple inches of skin.

"So, the Civil War, huh?" She put the book back onto the shelf.

He shrugged. "It's an interesting time period." He watched as she moved across the room to the next shelf. She could feel his eyes on her, and she twitched her hips just a little. She thought she heard him mutter "minx" under his breath.

"What'd your friend say?" She turned to face him. He was watching her, his eyes hungry and dark.

"He said it'd be a couple hours before he would have the answers. He tried to look it up, but there was a flag on the license number. He'll figure it out." Jasper stepped closer to her, stopping about a foot away. Her heart sped up in response to his nearness.

The same electricity that had flared between them in the closet was back. It made her restless and anxious. She hated how far away he felt.

Unable to resist, Alice reached up to touch his face. He closed his eyes and turned his head into her palm. He licked the skin at the heel of her hand, following it up with a soft kiss. One hand came up to grasp her wrist, holding her arm still as he kissed the pulse point there. He trailed kisses down her arm to her elbow, nibbling and licking at the skin. Her breath hitched in her chest, and she had to remind herself to keep breathing.

Jasper lifted his lips from her arm and looked down into her eyes. He bent his head toward her and she rose up on her toes to meet his kiss. It started soft, a tentative meeting of skin, but quickly turned demanding. Fire blazed between them, and he let go of her arm only to wrap both of his arms around her. She responded by wrapping hers around his neck, pulling him tighter into the kiss.

His tongue plunged into her mouth, bold and warm. She whimpered and grabbed at his shoulders. She hitched her leg around his thigh, pulling their hips into contact. They both gasped, breaking the kiss. She could feel his erection, hard and insistent, against her stomach. It made her wild and she kissed him again, nipping at his bottom lip before sucking it into her mouth.

He wrapped his hands around her upper arms, pushing her away from him. "Whoa, there, darlin'. Slow down."

"Slow down?" It took several moments for the meaning of his words to filter through the haze of desire. She dropped her leg and stepped away. His rejection stung. Without his arms around her, she felt chilled.

"I just…" Jasper ran a hand through his hair, leaving the long strands more disheveled than they'd been before. "I'm your lawyer. I shouldn't be doing this."

He wouldn't meet her eyes. Intuition sparked.

"It's not that, is it?" she pressed, her voice soft.

He laughed bitterly, scrubbing a hand over his face. He stalked over to the fireplace and picked up one of the photos. He walked back to her and thrust it into her hands. A small, dark girl stared out at her from the wooden frame with a gamine smile.

"Vanessa. My daughter. She's five." Even though his tone was tortured, he couldn't hide the pride and love that filled him when he said her name.

Alice tried to process what he was telling her.

"So, you're married?" she asked.

"I was. To a woman named Maria; we divorced three years ago. She and Nessie are in DC because Maria had a job offer." He looked over her shoulder, and Alice thought that he was trying to see all the way to the East Coast. There was no bitterness in his tone, only a deep sadness that made her heart ache.

"You must miss them." She reached out to him, putting her hand on his cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned into her palm.

"I haven't been with a woman since before the divorce. Maria said I was unable to love, that I was too focused on work…" He opened his eyes, pinning her with his gray gaze. "I just don't want to mess this up."

"You won't," she assured him. "I have faith in you, Jasper."

"Why?" His voice was full of despair. "How can you believe in me when I don't?"

"Because you saved my brother – that took courage and dedication. Because of your expression when you talk about your daughter." She threaded her hand through his hair, tucking a strand of it behind his ear. "Because you believed I was innocent without any evidence."

Jasper crushed her to him. He kissed her, his lips hard on hers, his hands clutching her face. She held him, stroking his shoulders and back, kissing him back, but not pushing him. He pulled his mouth from hers and buried his face in her neck.

"It's all right. It'll be all right," she murmured as he trembled in her arms. His arms were locked around her waist.

She continued stroking his hair soothingly. Anger stirred in her as she thought of how a man as confident as Jasper was could have been so convinced that he was unable to love. She drew a breath in through her nose.

Jasper finally pulled back from her. He wore a sheepish expression. She dropped her hands, letting him step away.

"Now that I've completely freaked you out…" She shook her head and started to protest, but he shushed her. "Don't be _nice_ to me, Alice."

"Fine. I won't be _nice_. Since you're not going to seduce me, can you at least feed me?"

He blinked, and then grinned lazily at her.

"That I can do." He took her by the hand and led her back into the kitchen.

~*AA*~

They were just finishing lunch when his phone rang. Jasper was sprawled on a kitchen chair that he'd rocked back on two legs. He wiped his mouth with the napkin before answering. Alice was still picking at her quiche. He watched her as he took the call.

"Whitlock."

"Hey, man. I got that name for you." Paul's voice was strained. Jasper sat forward abruptly, the front legs of the chair hitting the floor with a thud. Alice looked up at him, her easy, relaxed posture stiffening immediately.

"What is it, Paul?" Jasper pulled a pen from his shirt pocket, his hand hovering over the paper napkin.

"The guy's name is Felix Marino." Jasper scribbled down the name and the address Paul gave him. "That's not the interesting part, though."

"What's the interesting part?"

"Who put that flag on your man's file, that's what. I had to do a little hacking, but it looks like someone loaded a program into our system to send out an email if anyone queried that plate." Paul lowered his voice even more. "This isn't the sort of thing that just anyone could do."

"Do you know who the email was supposed to go to?" he asked.

"It's one of those free web accounts. Alpha Victor at Golf Mail dot com." Jasper wrote down the email address. "I tripped it when I did the query for you. Our security guy came asking about it. Not Joe in IT, the head of security for the Washington State Department of Licensing."

"So whoever put the flag on that account is connected to some high up folks." He looked up at Alice. Her eyes were wide as she listened to the conversation. "Are you okay, man?"

"Yeah – I told him I was just doing a random check." His words were more positive than his voice.

"Thanks for the info. I appreciate it."

"Sure thing. You know I owe you." Paul hung up without saying goodbye.

Jasper snapped his phone shut and set it on the table before meeting Alice's worried gaze.

"Alice, I know we agreed to figure this out on our own, but I really think we need to go to the police." Her expression turned mutinous. "Come on, darlin', there is obviously more to this than just one murder if someone in the government is involved."

"Don't _darlin'_ me, Jasper." Her eyes flashed with green fire. "It's precisely because someone in government is involved that we can't go to them. This goes much further than we thought."

"You're sounding like someone out of a bad novel," he scoffed. Her hands were lying on the table, clenched into fists. He laid his hand over one of hers. "I work with the police all the time. Defense attorney, remember? These guys are just trying to figure out what happened as best they can. They're not the bad guys."

"Are you sure? Someone's the bad guy. I know it's not me, but someone is trying to make it look like _I'm_ the one who killed Guardiano and blew up my house." She pulled her hand out from under his palm, leaving him leaning awkwardly over the table. "Have you forgotten they found explosives in my car?"

"Explosives you _say_ you didn't put there!" he shot back. As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them.

Alice flinched back from him as if he'd struck her. She got up from the table and walked away from him.

"I'm sorry." He followed her. Panic gripped him at the thought of her walking out the door. The image of Maria leaving through that same door, Nessie carried in her arms, nearly swamped him. "Please, don't leave, Alice."

"Do you really think I could have done that?" She turned to him, her back against the door. She searched his face.

"No. I don't. God, Alice, I'm sorry – it was stupid." Cradling her face in his hands, he stroked her cheek with his thumb. "I know it wasn't you."

He willed her to see his remorse as he met her gaze. She closed her eyes briefly, then looked up at him.

"All right, Jasper." Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears like emeralds in sunlight. "Just, please, believe me when I say I'm innocent. I don't know why, but I need you to trust me. I need to be able to trust you."

"I do. You can." He bent his head and kissed her softly, brushing his lips over hers with feather-light motions.

He knew she'd capitulated when she melted against him. Deepening his kiss, he pulled her to him. Fire blossomed between them, and he nipped at her mouth.

Alice was the first to pull away from the kiss. They were both panting as he let his hands drop from her face.

"That's cheating, Whitlock," she said. Her tone was teasing, though, and a smile played around the edges of her mouth.

"I'm a lawyer, darlin'. Some say cheating's what we do."

She laughed. His heart settled back into his chest, having climbed back from the floor where it'd dropped when she had tried to leave.

"I should go, anyway. I want to make sure Emmett got home all right. The hospital was going to release him today." She reached out to caress his cheek, trailing her dainty fingers over his skin. "Will you drive me home?"

"Of course."

It was a quiet drive to the hotel at which the Cullens were staying. Alice watched the road for most of the drive, though she held Jasper's free hand. The contact reassured him, giving him hope that he hadn't completely screwed up with her.

He pulled the car up to the front door of the hotel and walked around to the passenger door, opening it for Alice. She gave him a thankful smile. He could feel a silly grin spreading across his face in reaction.

Jasper followed her into the hotel when a crowd in the lobby brought them up short. Alice's family and several police officers were converging on them.

The lanky blond cop from the accident scene put his hand on Alice's arm, turning her around and pulling out a pair of handcuffs. Jasper clenched his fists. He wanted to drag the cop off and pound him into the ground for daring to touch her. He held on to his fury by a thin thread.

"Alice Cullen, you are under arrest for murder." Officer Rademarc tightened the cuffs. "Again."

~*AA*~

Alice felt her world constrict to the cold metal on her wrists and the stricken look on Jasper's face. She could hear the cop stating her rights, but the words were fuzzy, as if he spoke in a foreign language.

Rademarc's breath was hot against her neck and she resisted the urge to slam the back of her head into his nose. The thought did bring up the pleasant image of him with blood dripping down his face. It was enough to snap the world back into focus.

Her father, waving a piece of paper he clenched in his hand, was talking animatedly to Detective Crowley. Edward had his arm around their mother, who was crying. Edward met her gaze, his expression one of helpless fury. Emmett stood between Detective Stanley and a uniformed cop. The cop watched Emmett warily, and kept one hand on the butt of his gun. A few hotel guests and the young woman at the counter watched, fascinated, as Alice was arrested.

But it was on Jasper that her eyes ultimately focused. He walked up to her, staring Rademarc down when the cop would have pulled her away. His eyes were steely gray and she could see the tension in his shoulders. He was calm and even managed a smile for her.

"I'll get this straightened out. I'll be waiting as soon as they book you."

"Sure, no problem. I'll let good-looking here" – she yanked her head toward Rademarc – "keep me entertained while you deal with the paperwork."

"We'll be there soon, honey," her mom called from where she stood with Edward.

"Thanks, Mom. Make sure the boys don't do anything stupid, okay?" She smiled bravely at her family. They clustered together as the cops followed her and Rademarc out the sliding glass doors of the hotel.

The booking process was a lot easier the second time through. She knew what to expect and, more importantly, she knew Jasper would be waiting for her on the other side of it. They didn't take her clothes this time, which also helped.

She expected to be taken back to the holding cell after the paperwork and fingerprinting were done, but instead she was brought into one of the interrogation rooms. The corrections officer left her alone in the room, shutting the door firmly. Alice smiled, thinking that Jasper must be on his way. She perched on the metal table and waited.

No one came for what felt like hours. There was no clock in the room and she hadn't been allowed to keep her cell phone. Her butt started getting numb, so she hopped off the table and started pacing instead. She lost count of how many times she walked up one side of the room and back down the other.

When the door finally opened, she thought she'd walked a mile in that little room. She turned, expecting Jasper. She was surprised to see Detective Crowley instead, and he was alone.

"Where's Jas– Mr. Whitlock?" she asked.

"Oh, he'll be along soon. I needed to talk to you privately." He dragged a chair to the end of the table. "Have a seat, Miss Cullen."

She sat, looking up at him when he settled on the edge of the table. He watched her through half-lidded, dark eyes. A manila folder hung from his fingers, and he tapped it against his knees in an erratic rhythm.

"You do know how much trouble you're in, right?" he asked.

"I really don't feel comfortable talking to you without my lawyer present." She smiled sweetly, folding her hands in her lap.

"I'm here to offer you a deal, Miss Cullen. You tell me what you know, and I'll see what I can do to make this go away." Crowley opened the folder and pulled out a piece of paper. "A source of mine gave me this, and I think you can tell me what it's from."

Alice took the paper from him. As she looked at the page, he watched her with a hopeful expression. It looked like another page of Guardiano's manuscript. She read it quickly – there were only a couple paragraphs on it, probably the end of a chapter.

_The documents proved it. Volini had known about the defective valve. Peter's heart raced as he met Charlotte's eyes. Hers were wide with shock as she read the file in front of them. When she'd finished he slammed it closed and slid it inside his jacket. "Come on, Char, we have to get out of here now. There are people who would kill us to keep us from making this public."_

"_How very right you are, Mr. Streicher," _

_Peter looked up to see the barrel of a gun pointed straight at his heart._

"I'm sorry, I've never seen this before." She didn't meet his eyes as she handed the page back. "It sounds exciting, though. What's it from?"

"Are you telling me that you don't recognize your biggest author's writing?" Crowley stuck the paper back in the file.

"It's a rather small sample," she said, shrugging her shoulders.

Her heart raced as she realized that Guardiano's manuscript said there were files that proved the company had known about the problems with the oil tanker that crashed. Maybe the ones in the Volturi office weren't the only copies. She wished she could get her hands on a complete copy of that manuscript.

"You're not helping your case by being unresponsive. Let me help you. Tell me what you know and I can talk with the DA." His expression was earnest and made her want to trust him, but she'd seen too many cops on TV try this bit to fall for it. He tried again. "I have information that says you and your lawyer have been doing some digging on your own. Share what you know – it'll help me find the real killer."

"I'm sorry, Detective, but I plead the Fifth." She shook her head. "I want my lawyer, please."

"Miss Cullen, you aren't listening to me." He gazed over her head at the door. He dropped his voice to a bare thread, hardly more than a whisper. "There is more to this than just this one murder, and you know it. These people have fingers in every pie and I can't protect you if you won't tell me what you know. Not even this jail is safe from their reach."

She shivered at his words. The back of her neck itched as she wondered who out there might be part of this. She shook it off. He wanted her spooked; he wanted her to talk.

"Maybe that's true, Detective Crowley, but I am not answering any questions without my lawyer present." She stood, bringing herself face to face with him. Clearly enunciating each word, she said, "I. Want. My. Lawyer."

"You're making a mistake." His face hardened, but he slid off the table and walked to the door. "Don't forget that I gave you a chance. I'll make sure your lawyer finds you."

Jasper was there within a few minutes of Crowley's departure. She started to throw herself into his arms, but he shook his head at her and she checked the movement. He held out the same chair for her that the detective had sat her in, and then took the seat closest to her and sat his briefcase on the table between them. His knee brushed hers briefly as he settled himself. The small contact was reassuring, until he started speaking.

"Miss Cullen, I'm afraid you're going to have to spend the night. We can't get an arraignment until the morning." His voice was completely professional, no hint of warmth or his accent.

A desperate desire to hear him call her "darlin'" swamped her and tears welled up. She fought them back, knowing it wouldn't do her any good to cry.

"All right. What happens after the arraignment?" she asked.

"It depends on the judge and bail. The district attorney's office will ask for remand – to keep you in jail until trial – and I'll ask for bail." Jasper fiddled with the clasp of his briefcase. "I spoke to your parents about what resources they have to cover your bail. If it doesn't go too high, we hope to have you home by tomorrow evening."

"I see," she murmured.

They were silent for a few moments, an awkward tension stretching between them. Alice tried to catch his eye, but he wouldn't look away from his briefcase.

"I should go," he said finally.

He looked up at her and she was shocked to see agony in his eyes. Her heart contracted at the sight and she wanted to hold him. She settled for laying her hand on top of his where it rested on the table. He squeezed his eyes shut and briefly turned his hand over so their palms met and fingers intertwined. Then he pulled his hand away and stood.

"I'm sorry, Miss Cullen. I'll see you tomorrow for the arraignment." Jasper picked up his briefcase and walked out the door.

Alice barely noticed when the corrections officers came to take her back to the holding cell. She shuffled along in front of the woman, her mind trying to comprehend what had just happened. She didn't even notice they were going to a different cell until she was standing in it. This one had a bed in it, a stack of clean, folded sheets sitting on it, and that seemed to make everything real.

She curled up on the striped tick mattress without unfolding the sheets. Unable to hold it back any longer, Alice let the tears flow, sobbing into the canvas of the bed.


	5. Chapter 5

_Dearest readers, thank you for sticking with me. I know it's been well over a year since I last posted a chapter, but I promise I haven't forgotten this story! In apology I give you action and smut. I don't know when the next chapter will go up, but I actually have the next scene in my head and *fingers crossed* this might be flowing again! :) Thank you, as always, to the betas at Project Team Beta. Sincerely - manywords_

**Chapter 5**

"Whiskey, a double," Jasper demanded of the bartender at _The Bench_, a bar that catered primarily to the lawyers and others who spent long days at the courthouse down the block.

The cute girl behind the bar gave him a flirtatious smile along with his drink, but he ignored it. He tossed back the whole thing and set the glass on the bar with a loud clunk, nodding toward it. She filled it back to the top before walking away to deal with another customer. The burn of the alcohol was soothing, chasing the knot in his stomach away.

His friend, the district attorney, had pulled him aside just before he'd gone in to see Alice. _Tell me who the hell this girl is, Jasper. I just got a call from the Governor telling me to get a conviction on this one. What is she involved in?_ He'd played it cool, trying to mask his surprise. _Just some girl whose family has enough money to pay me._

Jasper stared down at the glass in his hand, trying to figure out his next step, when he felt more than heard someone slide into the seat next to him.

"I'm guessing the fact that you're drinking at three in the afternoon is a bad sign for my sister's case." Edward Cullen leaned back on the bar stool to regard Jasper with a measuring look.

"It's not good, that's for damn sure." Jasper took a generous sip of the whiskey then sighed. "The police have a lot of evidence against Alice, and they also found a motive that I could see a jury going for."

"Bella tells me you two met when she was in some legal trouble. It looked bad for her back then, too." Edward frowned. "You pulled that off. What's different here?"

"Well, first of all, Bella wasn't being framed by someone." Jasper thought over everything he'd learned so far. If Alice wasn't guilty – and he would swear she wasn't – then that was only answer. "Second, we were able to find evidence that gave Bella an alibi."

"Who do you think is framing her?" Edward's eyes blazed with fury. They were the same emerald as his sister's.

"We have a few ideas, but no proof of anything." Jasper raised his hands placatingly when Edward would have demanded more information. "It's best for Alice's case if I don't discuss it with you."

"If you say so." Edward didn't look convinced. "There's something else I needed to talk to you about. Bella...well, Bella doesn't want to sign a pre-nup. I was hoping you could advise her differently."

"Already planning for the divorce? Good thing she's got me on retainer." Jasper took another swig of whiskey. "So you want to protect your assets from a greedy, grasping woman?"

Edward gave him a sour look. "No, I want to protect hers. I care about her future. I want her to be taken care of no matter what happens in the future, and I never want her to think I married her for anything but her."

"Noble sentiment," he said, unable to keep the bitterness out of his voice. He remembered how Maria had objected when he'd brought up the subject of a pre-nup. He should have taken the hint way back then. Of course, then they wouldn't have had Nessie.

"Aren't you supposed to be looking out for her? She is your employer."

"I'll talk to her." Jasper shrugged. "Listen, I've got to get back to the office. The prosecution sent over a whole bunch of paperwork that I need to read through."

Jasper downed the rest of his drink, leaving a twenty to cover the bill.

"What am I supposed to tell my family about Alice, Whitlock?" Edward twisted around on the bar stool to keep Jasper in his sight.

"Tell them I'll do my best, and that's damned good." Jasper tried to project a confidence he didn't feel.

"It had better be."

Jasper walked from the bar to his office in the Halverton building. The lobby was full of people: people who worked for Halverton, a delivery man in those ridiculous brown shorts, and a tall blonde woman in a red suit who turned every male head within twenty feet. He walked by the blonde without a second glance. She wasn't his type. No, his type was short and sassy with spiky hair that always looked like she'd just tumbled out of bed.

He opened his office door to find a stack of boxes three deep. With a sigh, he pushed thoughts of Alice from his head and dragged the top box over to his desk, pulling out a handful of papers and settling in to read.

~*AA*~

Her eyes felt gritty and her head ached, but when Alice woke, she bounced up off the narrow bed, optimism filling her. Sure, things were bad right now. She looked around the tiny cell, and her good mood slipped. Okay, very bad. She rubbed her eyes and took a deep breath, steadying her nerves.

Jasper would come for her. She believed in him. And in the meantime, there had to be something she could do to help get herself out of this mess.

She looked around the little cell again, not sure where to start. Aside from the bunk bed, which she was very glad she hadn't needed to share last night, the combination water fountain and toilet that made her shudder just to look at, and a small desk and chair, there wasn't much to work with. Deciding the desk was the best option, she went to examine it. There were several drawers, one of which turned out to hold paper and a pen. She pulled out a sheet and labeled it "What I Know About the Murder of Demetri Guardiano."

She stopped, not sure what to put down. She sorted through the details in her mind. He was connected to Volturi Oil. He knew and was going to expose that they'd known about the defective ships before the accident. Someone called 911 _before_ she'd gotten to Guardiano's house. Someone wanted to kill her. She stared at the last line she'd written, a shudder going through her.

A loud clang made her jump. She turned to see a small blonde woman wearing a brown corrections officer's uniform leaning against the open door of the cell. The woman was small, shorter even than Alice. She had a face that at first and even second glance looked like a child's, but as the woman sauntered closer Alice could see crow's feet at the corners of her eyes and lips. The woman moved with a sinuous grace, her steps quiet on the bare floor. A frisson of _wrong_ ran down Alice's spine. Without a word, the woman pulled a gun capped with what had to be a silencer and pointed it at her.

Alice threw herself from the chair just as the woman pulled the trigger. The bullet slammed into the wall, sending chips of concrete block and dust flying. Her heart pounded, and she rolled on her back to see the barrel of the gun following her movement. Alice twisted to snag the leg of the chair, slamming it into the woman. Her attacker crashed to the floor. The gun went spinning, the barrel sticking out from under the bed.

She scrambled to her feet and tried to sprint past the woman, but the blonde reached out and grabbed Alice's legs. She landed heavily, hands out to brace herself. Pain shot up through her wrists, and for a moment Alice couldn't breathe. She could hear the woman moving behind her, so she forced herself to act.

Alice kicked hard, connecting with something soft. The woman cried out but didn't let go of Alice's legs. Her fingers dug into Alice's ankles with preternatural strength as she squirmed and twisted. She tried to kick again, but the woman pulled herself up and sandwiched Alice's legs between her own.

"This was supposed to be easy, little girl," the blonde hissed. Her voice was high, like a little girl's. "Aro just wanted you dead. Now you've pissed me off, and you're going to feel pain."

The woman grabbed Alice's hair and yanked back before slamming her face into the floor. Stars exploded behind Alice's eyes and she could feel blood welling from her nose. The woman pulled back on her hair again to repeat the process, but Alice twisted, bucking her hips and throwing the woman into the bunk bed.

Alice staggered up and shot toward the still-open cell door. She'd almost made it when the woman kicked out at her legs, knocking them out from under her. She came down hard, skinning her knees.

Now Alice could hear voices, women in the adjoining cells, and heavy footfalls coming toward her. She gasped in a breath and let out a piercing scream. The woman jumped back from her, staring from Alice to the doorway.

"Help!" Alice shouted. "Please, help!" The steps got faster; whoever it was breaking into a run. The blonde cursed.

"This isn't over, little girl." The woman stood, straightened the uniform, and grabbed the gun, stuffing it in the back of her pants.

"Who are you calling little, tiny?" Alice managed to rasp out. The blonde paused long enough to shoot Alice a dirty look before disappearing from the cell.

A moment later Detective Crawley and Officer Rademarc were there. The cop had his gun drawn as he rushed in the cell. He swept the room, barely glancing at Alice. She leaned dizzily against the bunk bed, clinging tightly to the frame, but standing. Crowley stood in the doorway, eyes wide.

"My god!" he cried. "Miss Cullen, what happened?"

Rademarc holstered his weapon and reached out to pinch Alice's chin between his fingers. With a surprisingly soft touch, he turned her face back and forth. Even that gentle pressure hurt, and she winced away from his hand.

"Someone tried to kill me," Alice croaked. She cleared her throat and pulled away from Rademarc. "Do you believe me now?"

The two men exchanged a look. Rademarc harrumphed and pushed past Crawley to look up and down the hall.

"No one there." The cop glared at her.

"What, you think I did this to myself?" she gestured wanly toward the mess of her face.

"Of course not, Miss Cullen." Detective Crowley hurried over to her, putting his hand under her arm. "Come on; let's get you some medical attention."

~*AA*~

Alice heard Jasper before she saw him. She was sitting on a hospital cot, the paper crinkling every time she moved. The nurse had cleaned her up, assured her that she would likely have a pair of shiners in the morning, but her nose probably wasn't broken, and left her sitting alone. She could see Rademarc through the little window in the door that separated the emergency unit from the rest of the jail. He'd stationed himself outside the door like he expected her to make a break for it.

She heard Jasper's voice, loud and angry as she'd never heard it before, and her head snapped up. She winced as she got up, drawn to the sound. She couldn't see him from the tiny window, just the back of the cop's head. She pressed herself against the gunmetal grey door, though, the coolness of the metal soothing the palms of her hands as she rested them against the barrier between Jasper and her.

"How could you let her get hurt? She _told_ you people that someone was after her, that she wasn't guilty, but no, you thought it easier to accuse –" He was cut off by a softer voice, a soothing tone that she couldn't make out.

"I don't give a damn what you thought the evidence showed. You made it fit your theory, and now you'll be lucky if I don't sue you into oblivion for putting her in danger. Yes, you personally, you incompetent excuse for a cop!"

The back of Rademarc's neck flushed an angry red and he growled back. "Could be an accomplice trying to clean up a mess. You blood-sucking lawyers don't really care who's innocent and who's guilty as long as someone pays your blood money."

"Hey, hey, come on guys, back off." The third voice was Crowley. "Innocent until proven guilty in a court of law and no one's been convicted yet."

"Yet," Rademarc grumbled audibly. But his head disappeared from the little window, and Alice stepped back as the door was opened.

"My God, Alice!" Jasper's face was shocked. She raised her hands to her face, feeling her swollen cheeks and imagining what he must be seeing. She wanted to throw herself at him, feel his arms around her, but he had whirled on the cops again. "I'll be filing a complaint with your supervisors personally."

"Can I go home now?" she asked. Jasper turned away from the men with one last glare before he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. The feeling of relief at his touch threatened to swamp her. She locked her knees and tried not to be obvious as she leaned against Jasper.

"Yes, I was coming to let you know you'd been released on bail when I found out what happened." He guided her past the cops, one red-faced and glaring, the other's brown eyes enigmatic, his face solemn.

She ducked her head and concentrated on not wobbling as she walked. The walk to the parking garage seemed interminable, but soon they had reached Jasper's car. He handed her in, leaning across her to fasten her seatbelt. His hands were gentle but impersonal.

He didn't speak as they drove. She watched his hands on the wheel and the gear shift. They clenched so tightly his knuckles were white. She wanted to reach out and touch him, but he was almost vibrating with tension. Instead, she folded her hands on her lap and contented herself with watching him.

They'd been driving for nearly twenty minutes when he broke the silence.

"I don't think you should go home." Jasper didn't look at her. Every time he saw the bruises and scrapes, his temper rose, and all he could think of was doing violence to those who'd harmed his Alice. He bit back a groan. She wasn't his. He'd be lucky if she even wanted him as her lawyer after he let this happen to her.

"That's okay," she said with a small, pained laugh. "I don't really have a home right now, anyway. Someone blew it up."

He wanted to hit his head on the steering wheel. What an insensitive thing for him to say. Why didn't he just pour salt in the scratches on her palms? He cleared his throat.

"Yes, well... At least, I don't think you should be where they'd expect you to be. Do you have someone you can stay with other than your family?"

"Maybe, I suppose I can ask Bella. No one who knows me would ever think I'd be with her." She grinned, and under the bruising he could see the impish expression that was becoming familiar.

He couldn't help smiling back at her. He reached out and slid a lock of inky black hair between his fingers. She turned her cheek to brush against his palm and he was lost. He yanked the wheel, bringing the car to a shuddering halt on the side of the road. He had enough sense left to pull off far enough that someone driving by wouldn't see the car.

He twisted and cupped her face gently between his hands.

"God, Alice," he murmured. "I was so frightened when I heard you'd been hurt."

He peppered her skin with gentle little kisses. She grasped his forearms, and for one moment he was afraid she was pushing him away, but she clung to him as shivers began to wrack her slight frame. He folded her into his arms, letting her cry, whispering into her hair that she would be all right, that they'd figure this thing out.

When she had cried herself out, she lifted her face to his. Her eyes were red, her skin swollen and blotchy, yet he'd never seen anyone so beautiful or brave. He kissed her lightly on her lips, but she refused to let the kiss be gentle.

Alice wound her fingers into his long hair, pulling him closer, her tongue tracing lines of fire along his lips. His groin responded immediately, hardening almost painfully. He slid one hand under her sweater, desperate for contact with her skin. He ran the flat of his hand along her spine as he opened his mouth to allow her tongue to sweep inside.

They tangled, tongues and hands stroking. Every demand she made, he answered. He felt engulfed by her, this spitfire who'd turned him upside down. Every tug of her hands on his hair drove him to new heights. He dipped his hand into the waistband of her pants, cupping the soft, firm skin of her ass and urging her closer. She pulled away, and he almost begged her not to stop.

She grinned at him before bending over him and sliding her hands between his legs. He almost came then, until he realized her hands had left his body. With a jolt, the seat slid all the way back, leaving enough room between the steering wheel and him for Alice to straddle his lap.

"Alice," he groaned her name. "Darlin', are you sure this is what you want?"

In answer, she leaned down and bit his neck, making him hiss in pleasure. "Call me darlin' again," she demanded.

"Darlin'," he repeated. "Oh God, yes, darlin', do that again." She obliged with a small growl, biting him just below his chin before nibbling a path down his neck to his collarbone.

He couldn't help his hips from bucking under her, rubbing his hardness against the warmth between her legs. She moaned and he did it again. He reached between them and unbuttoned her jeans, catching her eyes as he slid the zipper down.

He locked his eyes with hers as he dipped his hand into her pants, sliding his fingers into her soft nest of curls. She was already wet for him, the sweet nectar perfuming the air. He deliberately ran one finger over the bud of her clit and down between the petals of her pussy.

Jasper leaned forward, sliding his finger deep inside her and licking the soft skin showing in the vee of her shirt at the same time. She was so tight and wet and her skin tasted of cream. He could hear his breath rasping in and out of his chest; her short gasps a musical complement to his own.

Alice wiggled back and he reluctantly drew his hand away. She contorted, dragging her jeans and panties down her legs. His heart squeezed painfully as more bruises were exposed, ugly purple against the pale skin. He reached out to stroke his hand softly over them. She hissed, wincing a little, but when he would have pulled away she dragged him back to her for another deep, drugging kiss.

Her hands were busy, unbuttoning his pants. He helped her, lifting his hips to let her slide the gabardine off. When her hands grazed his erection, he was the one to hiss. He wanted to grab her hand and wrap it around his cock, but this was her show. What she needed. He clenched the fabric of her sweater instead, drawing it up over her head. He bent his head to her breasts, rubbing his cheek over the soft skin. He licked the tight nub of one nipple through her bra.

Alice straddled him again, the heat of her searing his cock. She reached down and guided him to her entrance, then sank down on him, sheathing him in heaven. She gasped, closing her eyes and throwing her head back.

He cupped her head with his hand, bringing it up. "Look at me, darlin'," he commanded her. "I want to watch you come. I want to see your eyes as you ride me."

She opened her eyes and deliberately lifted herself almost all the way off his cock before sinking back down on it. Beads of sweat popped out on his forehead as he struggled not to come at the magnificent sight of her riding him, of her taking pleasure from him. She pulled away again, the friction the purest ecstasy he'd ever felt, before plunging back down.

He wrapped his hands around the headrest behind him, gritting his teeth to keep from thrusting up into her. "That's it, darlin'. Ride me; take what you need."

She settled into a rhythm, pounding down onto his shaft. He watched her face, watched the way she worried her bottom lip with her teeth when his cock pushed into her, saw the way her eyes widened as he rubbed against a sensitive spot when she arched back. He saw when her eyes turned inward and wild, her orgasm close.

He unclenched one hand from the headrest to reach between them and stroke her clit in time with her rocking. He felt the first tremors as she came around him, calling out his name. The sound of his name on her lips snapped his control. His other arm wrapped around her, holding her hips tight to him as he surged into her, her tight sheath milking his own orgasm from him.

They sat, gulping in air, staring at each other. She smiled at him, her face flushed and eyes glittering. His hands shook as he moved to cup her face, bringing her lips to his for a soft kiss.

"Oh, Alice." His words were a reverent prayer. "My beautiful girl."

She smiled tremulously at him before pillowing her head on his chest. Her fingers traced patterns on his skin. He wrapped his arms around her, leaning his cheek against her head. Lost. He was utterly lost to this woman. But instead of feeling adrift, he felt he'd finally found home.


End file.
